The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

You can get a connecting tube for the tone arm to use an Orthophonic sound box on an earlier Victrola. I have one and it sounds OK with electrical records.

hearsedriver wrote:Can someone explain why I cant use a Victor No.2 while playing my late 30's , early 40's Bluebird records? Ive done it and they sound fine to me. I know you are not suppose to use a No.2 or Exhibition on electrically recorded records but, I haven't been able to find a reason why.

I use my Exhibition/VV-XI combination to play all 78s except the very late vinyl ones. Result are entirely satisfactory. The sound box has been rebuilt with fresh, soft, pliable front gaskets and a new back flange, and carefully adjusted (by me) to Victor specs. Undue record wear not noted. Records from the late '30s-early '40s will be fine; just play your records and enjoy them!

Henry wrote: I use my Exhibition/VV-XI combination to play all 78s except the very late vinyl ones. Result are entirely satisfactory. --- Undue record wear not noted. Records from the late '30s-early '40s will be fine; just play your records and enjoy them!

Agreed.

As for me, I use a Victor III with an Exhibition reproducer and seldom use a steel needle anymore.
I use cactus and bamboo needles 98% of the time and have for many years.
Some late 40s discs are able to perform without issue - this is were I tend to stop.
I am not expecting to capture all the nuance of a full range electrically recorded performance.
I'm just listening to music and am quite satisfied with the pleasure it provides - without harming my discs.

Now I have done harm to some discs and have learned a thing or two in the process.
You will too. Be fearless and experiment on records you don't care for much.

James.

At the antique center in my town there's a Victrola 80.on the turntable they have a Victor by Glenn Miller.I told my friend Sandi that records from the Big Band era are meant for a lighter reproducer and tone arm.edisonplayer

It isn't the weight of the sound box. Shellac can handle it. It's how the needle tracks the groove. I play everything, except for vinyl, on my Brunswick Cortez and it all sounds great and no noticeable record wear at all. Lots of people were still using acoustic phonographs until the hifi era.